Croghan, County Offaly

Croghan
Cruachán
Town

Croghan village from Croghan Hill
Croghan

Location in Ireland

Coordinates: 53°20′46″N 7°17′35″W / 53.346°N 7.293°W / 53.346; -7.293Coordinates: 53°20′46″N 7°17′35″W / 53.346°N 7.293°W / 53.346; -7.293
Country Ireland
Province Leinster
County Offaly
Elevation 110 m (360 ft)
Population (2011)
 • Urban 526
Time zone WET (UTC+0)
 • Summer (DST) IST (WEST) (UTC-1)
Irish Grid Reference N470331
Website http://www.croghancommunity.ie

Croghan (Irish: Cruachán) is a village in County Offaly in Ireland. It is situated near Croghan Hill, on an "island" of high ground surrounded by an expanse of raised bog which forms part of the Bog of Allen.

Sport

The local GAA club in Croghan is St. Brigids (Irish: Naomh Brid). Its 60th anniversary was celebrated in 2014.

Shop

Croghan Stores stocks a wide range of goods from household fuel to bread & milk. Croghan Superstores also boasts a community cafe.

School

St Brigids National School (Irish: Naomh Brid) was built in 1963 and is current school. There was a number of schools throughout the years in Croghan. During the Penal Laws there was a hedge school in Coole which was run by a Mr. Burke, a small farmer who also lived in Cool and is now buried in Ballyburley Graveyard. The first official school opened in August 1835 in Cannakill. According to an English visitor, Mr. Lewis, about 160 boys & 130 girls attended. Croghan Community Centre was the local school until Scoil Bhríde was built. Due to the large number of pupils attending the new school an extension was built in 2009. It included an assembly hall, kitchen, toilets, learning support room, computer room, a classroom, staff room and an office. The Bishop of Kildare and Leighlin, James Moriarty came to bless the school. There are now 100 pupils attending the school. Scoil Bhríde celebrated their 50th anniversary in 2013.[1]

Recreation

There are many recreational activities in Croghan, including hill walking, cycling, running & adventure races.

Croghan Hill

Many people regularly climb Croghan Hill to see the views, it is said that you can see up to 9 counties from the summit of the hill. On 17 March every year, St Patrick's Day, people climb the hill and set fire to the Furzes. The lighting of Furzes is an age old tradition and it was believed that if you drove your cattle through the burning Furzes it would ward off any diseases.

Croghan Hill Challenge

The Croghan Hill Challenge is an Adventure Race and is located on the slopes of Croghan Hill. It has been a major fundraiser for many charities and in 2013 alone raised over €60,000.[2]

Charities supported:

Transport

Croghan can be accessed via car, bus or cycle. The bus route is provided by Bus Éireann route number 120.[3] It provides 6 daily buses, Monday - Saturday, 2 buses on a Saturday and 1 bus on a Sunday to the local towns of Tullamore & Edenderry. The bus service also provides connections to Dublin city.

Population

Population of Croghan, Co. Offaly [4]

Croghan, Co. Offaly 2011
Population (Number) 526
Males (Number) 283
Females (Number) 243
Actual change since previous census (Number) +69
Percentage change since previous census* (%) +15.1%
Area (km2) (Number) 33.32 km2

Previous census took place in 2006[5]

See also

List of towns and villages in Ireland

References

  1. ↑ "School History". Scoil Bhríde Croghan. Retrieved 23 November 2014.
  2. ↑ "The Challenge". Croghan Hill Challenge. Retrieved 23 November 2014.
  3. ↑ "Dublin - Edenderry - Tullamore" (PDF). Bus Éireann. Retrieved 23 November 2014.
  4. ↑ "Population Density & Area Size 2011". Central Statistics Office. Retrieved 23 November 2014.
  5. ↑ "Population Density & Area Size 2006". Central Statistics Office. Retrieved 23 November 2014.
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